HUTT ROAD FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1 October 1935, Page 2

HUTT ROAD FATALITY

Inquest on Motor-cyclist

A finding that John Stewart died of cranial injuries accidentally received through colliding with a motor-car was returned by the coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, at the inquest in Petone yesterday on the victim of the Hutt Road collision, which occurred on Saturday morning. The coroner remarked that from the evidence he was inclined to think .something went, wrong with the motor-cycle which deceased was riding. It was purely an accident, and the motor-car was in no way to blame.

Phillip Thomas Jones, taxi-driver, saffi lie was travelling between 30 and 36 miles an hour, and saw the motor-cycle, going in the opposite direction, some distance off. Both were on their correct sides of tbe road. He considered the cyclist was travelling between 50 and 60 miles an hour.

“When the motor-cyclist was about 60 to 80 feet away; he suddenly swerved to his wrong side right in front of my car,” said witness. “I had no time to do anything except to put on my brakes, and by this time the motor-cycle had struck the car on the left front side. I cannot account for the sudden swerving of the cyclist across the road,” he added, Bernard Thomas Walden said he was cycling along the cycle track toward Wellington, and heard a motor-cycle coming toward him from the rear. From the noise he gathered it was going nt a high speed. He saw the motor-cycle swerve to the wrong side of the road ; it almost immediately swerved back again to its correct side, and left the bitumen. Witness said he again looked 'back just in time to see the motor-cycle crossing the road and heading straight for the oncoming 'car. Just prior to tho collision the cyclist seemed to have shut off the power. “I cannot say what would cause the motor-cycle to swerve, unless it was a flat tire,” he said. A passenger - on the 6,28 a.m. train from Upper Hutt, JaniesjFinlay, said the cyclist overtook the train, and when abreast of it he saw the rider take his left hand from the handle-grip and wave to someone in the train. The cyclist was gaining on the train all the time, and witness saw him place his hand back on the grip again. He appeared at that time to be steering a course to 'his right in a gradual slant toward his wrong side of Ihe road. Then the collision occurred. To Mr. N. T. Gillespie, who appeared for the taxi-driver. Finlay stated he would not say the cyclist lost control. At the time he thought he was going to the otiier side of the road to pull up. He did not seem to steer away as he was looking at the train. Constable G. 11. King said the front tire of the cycle was badly torn, and the back one was flat.

Constable C. E. Tanner produced a statement from Dr. G. F. V. AnSon, who said deceased’s face was unrecognisable with blood and injuries.

Tho inquest was conducted 'by SeniorSergeant G. Sivyer, of Petone,